3 Things To Know Before You Outsource Your DBA
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Outsourcing has a lot of allure. There are many reasons to outsource and even more reasons to make outsourcing offshore appear appealing. Before your company jumps in and begins the process of finding a vendor to outsource your database administration to, there are some things you should know.
Here are three things to definitely know before you choose a vendor.
1 - Is offshoring really a good idea for your company?
Yes, there are significant cost savings to be had when you send your DBA to someone outside North America - sometimes the savings can be fairly significant. But that savings can come at a cost. You should know, for sure, whether or not the costs are going to outweigh the savings.
First, how important is your data? If your database becomes non-functional tomorrow and you lost several days' worth of data in the restoration process, will it significantly harm or even potentially destroy your business? If so, don't go offshore.
Next, if your information is stolen or sold to your competition, will you be able to recover, or are you then going to be locked in a business-killing mire of courtroom battles? If so, don't go outside North America.
Finally, will you be able to effectively communicate with the chosen vendor? This includes both your management and any internal IT staff you might have. Quite often, offshore providers have a sales force that is proficient in English, but those actually doing the work are likely not so easily spoken with. If you need to talk to the DBA directly, will you be able to?
2 - Can the location you've chosen support your business?
This doesn't mean can you move your operations there, it means that if you're putting your business' data outside North America, will it be reliably held? Even in relatively well-established countries for outsourcing, like India, sudden outbreaks of violence or long-lasting power outages can seriously undermine your ability not only to communicate with your vendor, but to access your data.
If you self-host and allow them access, you may find yourself without a DBA for several days, even weeks. It's happened several times in the past, even in major urban areas. Make sure you know exactly where your outsource choice is located, physically, and what kind of support structure they have.
Another aspect of this is how the law in that nation works. Will your non-disclosures, security agreements, and so forth be upheld in that nation's courts? Will you be able to sue or seize assets that are yours, or will you be left in the lurch with no recourse when things go wrong?
3 - Is your vendor the one who's actually doing the work, or just a front?
This is a lot more common than many believe. There are business fronts here, domestically, that are not what they seem. You may be talking to a local business about your database, but the people actually doing the work are in India, Pakistan, Russia, or elsewhere. The person you're dealing with is just the broker. The actual work is outsourced beyond the safety of North America.
Make sure you know who you're dealing with. Local isn't always local. |
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Author Resource:-
[About] The DBA Shoppe specializes in remote DBA services for clients with Oracle, DB2 and SQL Server databases. Providing certified Database Administrators for your day to day requirements, the DBA Shoppe saves you time and money. How healthy are your databases? Discover today at http://www.TheDBAShoppe.com
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By :
Jacomus Beresford
Submitted
2011-11-25 07:20:48 |
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